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If the community gives the go-ahead, Akwesasne could be the only place with a dispensary for recreational marijuana near Cornwall when it becomes legal this year.

At its monthly meeting in January, a video of which is posted on YouTube, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) ran the idea past its members looking for feedback. It was made very clear during the presentation the MCA would not pursue the idea if the community is not in favour of it, but Grand Chief Abram Benedict argued the impending legalization of marijuana presents the First Nation with an incredible business opportunity.

“We could have a dispensary on Cornwall Island, and if the market we are going after is non-Indigenous people, there is potentially a market to be had,” said Benedict. “We’re saying that perhaps we should try to get ahead of the curve and see how we could benefit.”

When the Ontario government passed the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation Act, it set out the rules for selling marijuana which say that it will only be sold in government-owned stores similar to liquor stores. The province has already listed the cities where the first wave of stores will be opened, with the nearest one to Cornwall in Ottawa.

So is it even possible for the MCA to open up a recreational cannabis store of its own? Yes, it is.

A representative from the Ministry of Finance, Deepika Shewaramani, confirmed this in an email response last week.

“The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation Act, 2017 authorizes the Minister of Finance to enter into agreements with First Nations band councils for the sale and delivery of cannabis on-reserve,” said Shewaramani. “Initial discussions have been taking place between the province and First Nations communities and organizations. The province will continue to work with Indigenous communities and organizations to establish a formal process for engaging Indigenous communities on retailing on reserve.”

When asked what limitation would be placed on that ability to sell cannabis, Shewaramani said there are no formal agreements yet, so what conditions might be agreed to are not clear.

If Akwesasne does decide to go ahead with pursuing a recreational marijuana dispensary, it would not be the first venture into the growing cannabis market made on Cornwall Island. Back in October, it was announced a company called Seven Leaf is opening medicinal marijuana growing facility there, provided it get licensing.

One of the first questions community members asked the MCA executive last month was what impact having a dispensary would have on the Seven Leaf facility. The answer, according to the Grand Chief, is none — the two initiatives would be completely separate from each other.

The MCA is intentionally keeping Seven Leaf at arms-length while it considers a dispensary. The company asked to be a part of the working group that has been exploring the idea, but was told it couldn’t join. This was done to prevent any bias being introduced into the group’s recommendations.

Part of the reason a dispensary is an appealing option for the MCA is as a revenue-generating tool. Benedict pointed out the American portion of Akwesasne in St. Regis rakes in money because the tribe gets paid a percentage of every gas and tobacco sale there. The island does not have those revenue sources, but the ability to sell marijuana could help make up for it.

“I think that opening a dispensary that sells to (people from outside of Akwesasne) and provides a collective benefit is an opportunity we should look at. That could subsidize existing programs and create new ones,” said the Grand Chief.

That all being said, a band-owned dispensary will not go ahead without community approval. The MCA has already sent out an opinion survey to members, but education sessions or even a referendum are on the table as well.

Feedback from members at the January meeting was varied.

Some people wondered about the legal questions around Akwesasne’s own intoxicants law, others worried about complications at the U.S. border that runs through the community. One person wondered if the MCA is trying to cut down on opiate abuse on the island by getting people to switch to marijuana, Benedict said that was absolutely not the case. Another wanted to make sure the Mohawk police would be up to the task of enforcing whatever rules are set up.